


bury the letters

by staticbees



Series: paint the edges (of the road we're on) [2]
Category: Portal (Video Game), The Stanley Parable
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-04 18:33:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15153131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staticbees/pseuds/staticbees
Summary: The woman says her name is Chell. She doesn’t give a last name, and Stanley figures either she doesn’t want to tell him, or she doesn’t have one. She doesn’t seem to want to talk about her past, or how she arrived in Georgetown, so Stanley leaves it alone. He knows that feeling all too well.





	bury the letters

**Author's Note:**

> title is from oats we sow by gregory and the hawk
> 
> this is a continuation of a previous work, we will become silhouettes, but it isn't necessary to read that before this

Stanley sighs, rolling over in his bed. His eyes flicker open, and he hastily shuts them again, bright sunlight streaming through his window. His alarm clock beeps insistently, and he glares, hitting the sleep button.

 

He’s been setting an alarm on weekends, even though he never listens to it. Most days he just turns it off and goes back to sleep. It’s helpful if he wants to get up early that day, though, since he doesn’t have to remember the night before.

 

He rolls onto his back, staring at the plaster ceiling. It’s painted a dark blue, like the evening sky, since the previous white reminded Stanley too much of the office. He once bought little glow-in-the-dark stars to stick up there, but never got around to doing it, so for now it’s just plain ceiling.

 

He smiles slightly to himself, remembering the date. It’s been four summers since he escaped the Parable. Four summers since he ended up in a wheat field in the middle of nowhere, escape pod glinting red in the glaringly bright sun. Four summers since the beginning of his new life in Georgetown. He closes his eyes, marking the anniversary in his head.

 

He’s been doing as well as he can, with what he has to work with. He has a stable job, a nice apartment. He should be bursting with joy. But he’s not.

 

It’s strange, how abnormal everything seems after the Parable. He had gotten used to the endless hallways, and doors, and rooms, and although he would never want to go back there, wouldn’t trade his freedom for the world, the outside seems almost foreign, as if he doesn’t really belong here, with all these other humans.

 

As if he belongs back in the office.

 

He shakes his head, determined not to even think about that.

 

He sits up, pushing the sheets off of him and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He’s grown sick of suits and ties, and when he’s not going to work, he normally tries to dress more casually. T-shirts and shorts usually work fine for the summertime. He gets dressed and heads into the kitchen, busying himself with the task of finding something to eat.

 

After wasting a fair amount of time searching through his practically empty cabinets, he gives up, and decides to go to Juno’s, a local coffee shop near his apartment. He’s not that hungry anyway, more focused on staying awake throughout the afternoon, and besides, a walk might help clear his head.

 

On his way to the coffee shop, a woman catches his eye. She appears slightly younger than him, maybe in her late twenties, wearing a worn orange jumpsuit, her dark hair pulled up into a ponytail. She looks cautious, eyes darting around as she walks, as if she’s afraid someone might attack her at any moment.

 

The other pedestrians on the street are avoiding her, casting uneasy, disdainful looks in her direction, as if they’re afraid she’ll infect them with some sort of disease.

 

Stanley walks up to her, slightly apprehensive. He’s not sure if it’s worth it to try to get her attention, and there's a good chance she doesn't know ASL to begin with, but he might as well.

 

He taps her on the shoulder. 'Excuse me,' he signs.

 

She whips around, eyes wide and startled, like a deer caught in the headlights. Her hands raise to her chest, as if she’s holding a gun, a quick, fluid motion that Stanley figures she’s done a thousand times before.

 

She relaxes slightly after she sees that he isn’t whoever she expected him to be, lowering her hands and looking apologetic, although she doesn’t smile. Stanley thinks she looks surprised that someone is actually talking to her. He knows that feeling all too well.

 

He hesitates a moment. 'Are you lost?'

 

She nods, and Stanley feels relieved that, at the very least, he isn't signing at someone who doesn't know it.

 

'I was just headed to Juno’s for breakfast, if you want come along.'

 

'Juno’s?' she signs back, looking confused. 

 

'A coffee shop.'

 

'Oh.' She pauses, looking uncomfortable. 'I don’t have any money.'

 

'I can buy you something, if you want,' he offers.

 

She looks surprised, and then suspicious, eyes narrowed. 'Really.'

 

He fumbles in his wallet and pulls out a crinkled five dollar bill, handing it to her. 'Here.' He knows he’s probably being stupid and naive, giving away money to a total stranger he met on the street, but he doesn’t particularly care. She doesn’t _look_ like a murderer, just a little too tired and a little too scared, and if she’s going to spend his money on drugs or alcohol rather than food, at least he’ll have tried.

 

'Okay,' she agrees, and Stanley blinks, startled. 'I’ll come to Juno’s with you.'

 

His face brightens. 'Alright. Let’s go.'

 

-

 

She orders hot chocolate with whipped cream, and Stanley gets a latte. He doesn’t particularly like plain coffee, and it seems she doesn’t either. While they wait for the drinks to come, they talk.

 

The woman says her name is Chell. She doesn’t give a last name, and Stanley figures either she doesn’t want to tell him, or she doesn’t have one. She doesn’t seem to want to share anything about her past, or how she arrived in Georgetown, so Stanley leaves it alone. He knows that feeling all too well.

 

When the drinks arrive, Chell takes a sip of the hot chocolate, and flinches back, making a face. Stanley glances at her, questioning.

 

'Forgot it would be hot,' she admits, looking slightly embarrassed. She blows on it gently, holding it cupped in her hands.

 

They sit there without speaking until they finish, the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead and the chatter of other customers enough noise for the both of them.

 

After they finish their drinks, Stanley glances at her. He fidgets, nervous. 'Do you want to, uh... stay at my apartment? Not permanently, of course,' he adds hastily, seeing her expression. 'Just until you can find a secure job and a place to live.'

 

She nods, looking grateful for the offer.


End file.
